2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Cedric Tillman

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Cedric Tillman, 6-3/215 Wide Receiver Tennessee

Cedric Tillman Scouting Report
By Charlie Harry

Strengths:

Size mismatch

Makes catches over defenders

Use size and strength to box out defenders

Reliable hands

Late hands

Red-zone weapon

Possessional receiver to move the chains

Has some run-after-the catch ability

Tough to tackle

Weaknesses:

Lacks speed

Not twitchy

Not explosive

Not fast in and out of breaks

Lacks suddenness

Can’t stretch a defense with speed

Could struggle to separate from NFL corners

Summary: For the NFL, Tillman is a big receiver who presents a size mismatch. He has good hands and presents the danger of making leaping grabs over defensive backs. Helped by his height and weight, Tillman is able to box out defensive backs to make catches even when he is covered. Tillman shows nice technique, including late hands, to limit a defensive back’s ability to break up passes. In the NFL, Tillman would be a good weapon in the red zone given his ability to make catches over defenders.

With the ball in his hands, Tillman has some run-after-the-catch skills, using his powerful frame and ability to turn into a running back to pick up yards in the open field. He uses his size to break tackles and can be tough for defensive backs to get to the ground.



Tillman has some limitations for the NFL because he lacks twitch, is not explosive, and is very stiff. He will never be a huge separation wideout who can get open against pro cornerbacks because he is too stiff as a route-runner and does not have special speed. Tillman is going to struggle to get open from man coverage because man defenders will be able to run with him and keep him from getting open on speed alone. Thus, he won’t be a threat to stretch the field with speed; he could struggle to get open underneath; and he is too stiff to get separation via route-running.

If Tillman were faster, he would be a definite first-round pick, but his stiffness and speed limitations make him more of a second-day prospect and likely a No. 2 receiver in the NFL. However, some similar receivers like Laquon Treadwell, Josh Doctson and N’Keal Harry have gone in the first round in years past, and Tillman could be viewed like them. The team that likes Tillman enough to select him could end up doing it on the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Michael Pittman Jr. Tillman reminds me of a poor man’s version of Pittman. Pittman is faster and more athletic, but both are big, strong, physical, and have some stiffness. Pittman was a second-day pick in his draft class, and Tillman could go on Day 2 in the 2023 NFL Draft.

2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Jordan Addison, WR, USC Will Anderson, DE, Alabama Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Steve Avila, G, TCU Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Brian Branch, S, Alabama Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Chase Brown, RB, Illinois Sydney Brown, S, Illinois Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisvile Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina Max Duggan, QB, TCU Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Notre Dame Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn Jaren Hall, QB, BYU Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU Broderick Jones, G, Georgia Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Quan Martin, CB, Illinois Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern Malachi Moore, S, Alabama Mike Morris, DE, Michigan Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State Zion Nelson, OT, Miami B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame Clark Phillips, CB, Utah Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

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